Overview
Cancer waiting time statistics help users understand the performance of the NHS in England against key operational standards. New standards for cancer waiting times were introduced in October 2023, following which NHS England made several changes to the official statistics.
This report presents the findings of our assessment of the cancer waiting times statistics. We started the assessment in autumn 2024, to allow time for the new statistics to bed in.
Why did we conduct this review?
In June 2018, the UK Prime Minister asked the National Medical Director of NHS England and NHS Improvement to review the NHS standards for accessing cancer diagnosis and treatment. The aim of the review was to develop a new, simplified set of patient-centred standards appropriate to modern cancer care that are understandable both clinically and to the public.
NHS England publicly consulted on the proposed new standards between March and April 2022. The consultation response, published in August 2023, highlighted widespread support for the proposed new standards, which came into effect on 1 October 2023. The new standards included three core measures: the 28-day faster diagnosis standard; the 31-day decision to treat standard; and the 62-day referral to treatment standard.
NHS England made several changes to its official statistics following the introduction of the new standards. These changes were informed both by the introduction of the new standards and by feedback received in the consultation. NHS England published the first statistics reporting on the new standards in December 2023.
Given the new standards, the resulting changes to the statistics and the continued high profile of the statistics, NHS England requested that the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR) conduct a full assessment of the statistics.
Highlighted findings
There are effective processes in place for statistical governance. The team told us that the Head of Profession is responsive and gives it the support it needs.
NHS England engages effectively and regularly with users of the statistics from a range of backgrounds via various cancer-specific groups. The users that we spoke to for this assessment were largely happy with the engagement that they had with the team.
The team told us about various plans for future data developments and improvements to the statistics, but there is no published information about these plans.
Although users had confidence in the quality of the data, there is currently very little published information on data quality and the methods used to produce the statistics.
There are opportunities for NHS England to improve the presentation and accessibility of the statistics. The data are available in a variety of formats, but the information is generally not presented in a manner that is accessible to a broad range of users, particularly those that are less experienced with these statistics.
Although NHS England has responded to requests for more-granular breakdowns of data identified via its consultation, users told us about several requirements they have in relation to the data that are not currently being met. NHS England should consider these and provide feedback to users about what is and is not possible and why.
Our judgement
The team has engaged well with us throughout the assessment process and has demonstrated a clear commitment to improving the statistics based on our own feedback and that of the users we spoke to.
We have identified four requirements that NHS England needs to address for the cancer waiting times statistics to become accredited official statistics. These are focussed on the following areas:
- Publishing a development plan for the cancer waiting times statistics.
- Publishing comprehensive information about quality and methods, and information about coherence and cross-UK comparability.
- Improving the presentation of the statistics so that they are accessible to, and easy to use for, a wide range of users.
- Exploring the feasibility of publishing more-granular information and providing feedback to users about the possibility of providing other additional analyses, including what is and is not possible and why.
Next steps
NHS England should meet these requirements within six months and update us on its progress.
We are trialling new ways to make our judgements in OSR clearer and more transparent. This new overview page, at the start of reports and compliance checks, is part of this. We welcome your feedback – please email regulation@statistics.gov.uk.